APM Receives SBIR Award for Advanced Capacitor Material

AP Materials, Inc. (APM) has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for the development of nanoscale tantalum (Ta) powders for use in advanced electronic capacitors. The award will support APM's continuing development of the powders that promise to increase the performance of capacitors that are used in products such as cellular phones, laptop and palmtop computers, automobile control systems and many others. Nanoscale Ta will increase capacitor efficiency and will ultimately allow the further miniaturization of passive electronic components (i.e. a smaller package for a given capacitance) or an increase in functionality in existing package sizes. "Our objective under the award is to develop a unique nanoscale material offering a dramatic increase in the efficiency of tantalum capacitors," said Lee J. Rosen, vice president of research and development and the manager of the Ta development project.